Sant'Angelo Scalo is one of those Tuscan villages that tourists keep missing out on by driving straight through. Utterly lacking in noteworthy sites, Scalo (as the locals call it) doesn't have medieval town walls or great views, let alone any Renaissance art. If anything travelers slow down their car to ask for directions to the nearby Castello Banfi and Col d'Orcia wineries (two of Montalcino's biggest Brunello producers).

The small village on the way to the Maremma, is just so not the Tuscany you were dreaming about when booking your flight a few months ago. But for once, forget about art, culture and quaint medieval hilltop villages. Join the locals instead, binge on Tuscan food and wash it all down with one of Italy's best wines.

TheOrcia a Tavola food festival will make sure you'll remember the Val d'Orcia not just as a Unesco World Heritage site with cypress trees, but also as a place where one can have a good meal without a lot of fuzz.

Once you've chose your night call the organizers to book at least a day beforehand and expect to sit on long tables with the rest of the village. There will be live music, moving from table to table. Whether that's a good or bad thing, I don't know.

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If you missed the Orcia a Tavola festival, stop anyway. The Osteria Sant'Angelo is an insider tip when it comes to yummy Italian food. Perfect even if you have to keep an eye on your budget.